"Suzhou is a renowned historical and cultural city as well as a major frontier of China"s opening-up. It boasts a profound historical heritage while also radiating modern and international charm," He Yongqian, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said in January, describing a city where ancient elegance and contemporary vitality coexist.

　　With a history of more than 2,500 years, Suzhou"s rich cultural heritage is reflected in Kunqu Opera, Pingtan storytelling and ballad singing, Suzhou embroidery, Kesi silk-weaving, its classical gardens of Jiangnan, and the Grand Canal - all bearing witness to the profound legacy of this Chinese city. Complementing its millennia-old cultural traditions is a modern Suzhou defined by openness, innovation and dynamic vitality in the new era.

　　Today, Suzhou is one of China"s economic powerhouses. In 2025, its GDP reached $387.7 billion, ranking sixth among Chinese cities and approximately 20th globally. The scale of its foreign trade has long ranked among the top three or four nationwide.

　　The city is also one of China"s most open, with one of the largest groups of foreign investors, hosting the largest number of opening-up platforms in the country. It is home to more than 19,000 foreign-invested enterprises, with cumulative utilized foreign investment exceeding $170 billion.

　　More notably, Suzhou is both a starting point and key node in many industrial chains in China and globally, with world-class industrial supporting capacity. It hosts about 160,000 industrial enterprises across sectors including electronic information, equipment manufacturing, new materials, new energy, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence, covering both emerging pillar sectors and industries of the future.